Student Advisory Board

By Samantha Pallini on November 15, 2013

The university has a judicial board, a senate and an arbitration board – but what about an overall organizational review board?
Set to take effect in January, the university is creating the Student Organization Review Board (SORB). SORB will function as a standards board for all Bradley clubs, organizations and greek life.
“Right now, your options as an organization or greek chapter are to file a police report or to file a complaint with the university,” said Director of Student Activities Tom Coy. “With the [SORB], we can take action and bring a charge against the organization if needed.”
Coy said that more often than most, the need for the SORB is most evident with the greek organizations.
“The flaw in the past has been that if a fraternity steals from a sorority, it’s not really clear cut where that should be handled judicially,” Coy said. “The same goes for sororities taking from fraternities. There’s been this code of secrecy that it’s just a fun prank.”
Coy said the board will be made up ofsix appointed students from across various campus groups like housing, club sports, the arbitration board and greek life.
Assistant Director of Student Activities Lauren Smetana will be adviser to the board while a Bradley student will be the chair.
Smetana could not be immediately reached for comment.
Coy said the university has never had a student standards board like this but that they are looking forward to its implementation.
“We found some university trashcans being stored in a fraternity house,” Coy said. “This is exactly the kind of thing the [SORB] could be used for. We can have that conversation, or we can charge them. It prevents issues from just disappearing without acknowledgement or consequence.”
Coy said the SORB allows the university to directly charge the organization that has violated rules or regulations. Actions such as organizational discrimination, financial matters like embezzlement, group theft and participation in drinking at off-campus Bradley organization events and tournaments can be addressed by the SORB.